Overview

This route is over 2000 feet tall and is an adventurous climb up steep rock of variable quality. The buttress rises steeply from between the start of the Triple Couloirs and the Northeast Couloir and flattens out as it meets the summit ridge of the peak at a prominent notch near 8500 feet. The climb has classic Stuart Range terrain; steep cracks, blocky ridges, exposed aretes, and loose gullies.

Getting There

Follow the instructions on the main page to get to Colchuck Lake and continue on the trail towards Aasgard Pass. As the track makes its way through talus and turns climber's left, east, under steep slabs at about the 6400 foot level, leave to climber's right towards the base of a prominent left-leaning chimney and corner system.

Route Description

The route follows the previously mentioned chimney and corners for 150 meters to a notch in the crest of the NE Buttress proper. Expect steep, loose, and dirty, but reasonably well-protected climbing.

From the notch the crest can be followed over excellent mid-fifth class cracks for about 200 meters to a distinct exposed arete. Past the arete a ledge system is gained trending Southwest, paralleling the buttress 100 meters or so below the crest. This low-angle ledge system can be followed another 250 vertical meters over fourth class and low fifth to a notch in the summit ridge or the ridge crest can be followed per the first ascensionists another 200 vertical meters.

In the Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 1 Fred Beckey describes topping out on the ridgecrest proper on a square-topped block then rapelling 60 meters to the aforementioned ledge system to finish at the notch in the summit ridge.

The last 20 meters to the notch is up a very dirty and loose gully.

From the notch in the summit ridge winding mid-fifth leads over several ropelengths the last 150 vertical meters to the summit. Or 100 meters of downclimbing and rapelling from the notch will lead to the basin at the edge of the Snow Creek Glacier on the Southeast aspect of the summit. Solid anchors and clean rappel lines will be difficult to find descending from the notch.

Easy scrambling and non-crevassed glacier walking from here can be taken to the summit or to Aasgard Pass.